I have a thing for apple picking. How can you not? There really isn’t anything quite as good as an apple just picked off a tree and the desserts you can make with these freshly picked apples once back in your cozy home.

My love for apple picking comes from cherished childhood memories. My mother grew up in the Easter Townships, and on the way to my grandparents’ house, we’d always see the beautiful trees of Rougemont and apple stands by the side of the road. I think I associate apple fields with the simplest ways of life. Especially since my mom still shows me the stand where my grandmother used to sell pies and such on the 112 every time we drive by. But enough about the memories, let’s get to it!

This Thanksgiving Weekend (Canadian, eh), I convinced my mom we should pay my aunt a visit, she still lives in her hometown. We drove there on a rainy Saturday, but I made her promise we would go apple picking the next day. After a lovely day visiting landmarks that marked my mom’s childhood (Chez Ben included), we had a lovely Thanksgiving supper at my aunt’s boyfriend’s place.

Chez Ben on S’Bour La Bédaine – A Granby Classic

A Cheeseburger Moment chez Ben.

On Sunday, after saying farewell to our hosts, we finally went apple picking. At this point, I secretly wished we would find a field which also had pumpkin picking, but Google Maps wasn’t cooperating. Finally, we randomly made a stop Chez Le Roi de la fraise in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford and were delighted to see apples, pumpkins and squash available for picking at some great prices (better than the Market, may I add).

Our selection of pumpkins, squash and apples.

Although it was cloudy and not the best for picture taking, we managed to get some great produce out of our adventure and see some animals! I don’t think I had ever seen so many different kinds of squash at once and the pumpkins were so beautifully colourful!

Basket of Goods – Pumpkins first!

The Eastern Townships hold a special place in my heart and I’m sad I don’t find the time to go more often. While I love my beautiful Laurentian’s for hiking and its stunning fall colours, I have to say the view of those townships is quite amazing. It’s the perfect fall getaway, a short drive away from Montreal. I recommend trying this apple orchard since it was off the beaten track and not too packed with tourists. Be sure to drop a line in the comments if you have some suggestions I should check out, I’m hoping to be back soon especially with the ski season right around the corner!

According to Instagram, I ran my first half-marathon 109 weeks ago. It was a challenge my boyfriend and I had given each other and we completed it on a hot August day! We completed our first half-marathon in Tremblant, the event is called Demi-marathon de Mont-Tremblant. The course is truly beautiful starting near the casino and ending in St-Jovite, but it is one rough course. There are A LOT of hills.

Once I completed the race, the pain was real, but I loved the experience and decided to complete a second one that year with a friend in Oka. The second race wasn’t quite as hard, but it was one chilly day of November! Last year, I completed my third race in Montreal taking part in the Rock’n’Roll Marathon in Montreal. I admit I hadn’t trained enough for this one and the weather was much hotter than expected for September. However, the beginning of the race on the Jacques-Cartier bridge gave me the best feeling ever!

Starting the race on Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge

In a few weeks, I’ll partake in my fourth race in Saint-Sauveur! Here are some tips to get your started.

My tips to get race ready

Start to train early. A half-marathon is no joke, the pain you’ll feel is real and your body has to be used to feeling it for the race to go well.

My best races have always happened when I’ve been training for at least 4 months.

By Manue Côté-Gravel, a contributor and bestfriend of the Simple Thrillers.

Gorgeous view of the mountains. – Photo credit : Matthew Goddard

Last summer, Sarah initiated me to River Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Unsurprisingly, I fell in love with this fun workout (and don’t forget the 360 degree tanning). After my recent move from Montreal to Calgary, I decided to purchase a SUP board in order to be able to fully enjoy my new surroundings. I tried my new board with a friend at Bow River. The view going down the river was quite impressive as this blue glacier water stream overlooks magnificent mountains.

It took us just over two and a half hours to paddle the section from Bow Falls to the town of Canmore on a sunny day. While some spots were quicker and a bit more challenging to navigate on, the overall experience was suitable for intermediate paddlers.

Create your own thrills

It’s true not everyone lives a short drive away from a world renowned natural wonder, but I really think we typically underestimate the fun we can have in our own backyard. Next Saturday, wake up, have a coffee and dare to create your own thrills!

Pick an activity! Anything from running, hiking or kayaking to throwing a soccer game or a music jam. If none of your friends are creating a weekend plan : create your own.

Look up locations! As of right now, Parks Canada does not advertise the Bow Falls to Canmore section as suitable for SUP. We took a chance and had a blast. Change up your routine. Discover new locations. Be a tourist and don’t be shy to ask before thinking you’re not allowed to do something.

Team up! Experiences are delightful when shared. They are enhanced when lived with the right gem. Pick an activity partner that shares your love for life, it’s the most attractive quality any human being can carry. Mid way down the Bow, my friend and I reminded ourselves of how fortunate we were to have this jaw-dropping, panorama view to ourselves in the busiest National Park of the country. His response was to drop his board shorts to his ankles and continue down his white ass out – Just because, might as well.

Last year, while in San Diego, I tried SUP (Stand-Up Paddle Board) for the very first time. My best friend and I took a class of SUP Yoga at Bliss Paddle Yoga and loved every minute of the experience. SUP isn’t that difficult, but your body is always in action since it’s trying to maintain it’s balance. Because of this, your abs tend to feel sore the next day, which I found pretty great. Obviously, the additional challenge makes the practice of yoga positions harder than usual but it’s a great experience and a great change to traditional yoga classes.

This weekend, I decided to head back to a SUP class and tried SUP Fitness in my hometown of Mont-Tremblant. A new company, Pop Yoga & SUP, was giving classes on Lac Tremblant I wanted to try. Saturday morning, I headed out to the lake with a friend, we were a little disappointed because there was a light rain, but still had a ton of fun.

The class started out with a light warm-up on the beach including some stretches and jumping-jacks to get our heartbeat up. Then, we headed out on the lake for 10 minutes of SUP to get to the spot where we’d anchor our boards and have the class. Once there, we did some push-ups, mountain climbers, leg raises and planks. We finished off with some stretches on the board. The sequence was active enough and allowed me to catch a light sweat. The next morning though, ayayayay! My abs, shoulders, love handles and legs were sore, proving SUP really challenges all your body.

I strongly recommend heading to either a SUP Yoga or SUP Fitness Class during the summer. These classes are a great workout and are a welcomed change from usual fitness classes. I was lucky enough to do both classes with a light breeze, if you’re a beginner the wind is definitely a factor as it will make it harder for you to come back to shore and make your arms work extra hard. Be sure to bring a towel and a bottle of water, you’ll need both once you get to shore.